1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to board games in the conventional format of a game board and accessory set for two or more players, and extends to games played in other formats and mediums including lawn games and interactive, multimedia formats.
More particularly, this invention relates to a highway construction theme whereby the game board layout, components of the accessory set, rules and play of the game correspond to the actual equipment and operations of a highway construction project.
Even more particularly, this invention relates to an educational and entertaining highway construction board game that may include a supplemental educational component in a printed, audio, videotape, interactive multimedia or other format or medium.
2. Description of Prior Art
Games are often models of real-life situations in which the issues are simplified and the participants can become engaged in the action and decision-making without the risks and consequences of the real-life experience. There are virtually countless variations of games in the prior art. The basic elements found alone or in combination in most games include those of physical skill, chance, and strategy. Some common formats include board games, card games, lawn games, word games, children's games, games of fantasy, and electronic or video games.
The art of the present invention includes the elements of chance and strategy in the context of a board game conceived and modeled after a real-life, modern-day highway construction project. It is distinguished from the game of Mancala, or wari, which is a strategic game of the African continent first played in ancient Egypt, with each player having a number of pieces that are distributed about the playing board, where at each move, each player must make estimates involving numerical skill and good judgment in order to capture the opponent's pieces.
The present invention is distinguished from the Asian game of weichi, or go, where the players attempt to surround each other's pieces. It is likewise distinguished from the Indoeuropean game of chess which is characterized as a battle between social orders with the object being to evade or destroy the opposition and check their king.
The present invention is distinguished from the latter-day traditional standard, monopoly, in theme, layout of the board, components of the accessory set, rules, and play of the game, as will be readily seen in the description and claims of the following sections.
The present invention is distinguished from games of geometric construction as illustrated by the art of Levin's U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,953, Apr. 12, 1994, which is a board game including a board having a playing area to be filled with matching and mating pieces to form geometric patterns.
The present invention is also distinguished from highway games such as Scully's U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,143, Jan. 13, 1981, wherein models of vehicles are arranged on moving tracks or belts and physically manipulated by the players via a control system.
The present invention is distinguished from home building board games such as Anderson's U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,792, May 4, 1993, which is a home construction board game of chance and strategy, by differences in the theme, layout of the board, components of the accessory set, rules, and play of the game. Anderson discloses a game the primary object of which is to select a house construction project and obtain building permits, build and furnish the house while making the mortgage payments.
The present invention is likewise distinguished from transportation industry games such as Schultz's U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,872, Sep. 4, 1990, a transportation industry board game of chance and strategy in which players attempt to organize and operate a transportation company to maximize assets.